


Before the Dawn

by SarahJeanne



Category: Generation Kill
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-21
Updated: 2014-12-21
Packaged: 2018-03-02 15:17:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,336
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2816882
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarahJeanne/pseuds/SarahJeanne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brad and Nate find their way to each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Before the Dawn

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Roxie Ann (pluvial_poetry)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pluvial_poetry/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide, Roxie Ann!
> 
> Many thanks to , for her lovely beta help.

Nate tries not to let anything show when the paddle gets passed to Brad. Tries, but after a few tequila shots it’s possible something comes through—his breath catching in his throat, a twitch of his fingers where he can still feel Brad brushing against them—while his mind flips through the catalogue of what could come out of Brad’s mouth. 

Luckily everyone else has also had a few tequila shots so any tell goes unnoticed. Instead, it’s a chorus of whooping, and “Iceman”-s while Brad runs his fingers over the wood, staring at the paddle with a smirk on his face.

“Some of you rejects might recall the time when you set Ray’s face on fire,” Brad begins, as his smirk turns into a grin.

Nate returns the smirk and sinks back into his chair. While there are a significant number of people who wouldn't find this story the least bit amusing, those people are not here, nor do they have power over him anymore. 

“What you will also remember,” Brad shouts over the jeering, “is that there were no consequences for that major fuck-up, thanks to our illustrious leader here.”

Nate stops listening to the words, and lets the cadence of Brad’s voice roll over him. If it weren’t for the other 21 guys in the room he could fall asleep to it, oddly soothing as it is. He doesn’t make eye contact until Brad finishes, choosing instead to look at a spot on the wall just over Brad’s head. When Brad finishes and Nate lets his gaze drop they stare at each other across a coffee table. When he finally breaks and glances at the floor, he finds he’s missed the first half of Walt’s story.

———— 

Nate makes his escape as the party starts to die down but gets stuck at the curb in front of the house. He stares blankly at the pavement and runs his fingers over the paddle.

“You’ll be more effective in getting that off if you use a firmer grip,” Brad says from behind him.

Nate still his fingers and smiles. “Something you have a lot of experience with?”

“Enough.”

Nate’s eyebrows shoot up. “Really,” he says, twisting to look at Brad over his shoulder.

“What are you doing on the ground there, sir?”

Nate huffs out his breath, but lets the change of subject stand. “My plans to get home were thwarted by five tequila shots,” he says, spinning his keys around his finger.

“Come on, sir.” Brad’s hand closes over Nate’s. He pulls Nate to his feet and takes possession of the keys in one motion. “I’ll get you home.”

“You’re a knight in shining armor, Brad.” Nate says, trailing after Brad to his car. 

Brad opens the passenger door for Nate and offers a hand to help him in. “Don’t let Person hear you say that, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

It’s a short drive to Nate’s place, one they make in comfortable silence. No one speaks again until Brad is sliding Nate’s key into the lock and lets them in. “Is your roommate home?”

“I didn’t see his car. He’s probably out. He’s got a new girl he’s been fucking.” Nate waits until Brad is looking directly at him. “That’s not my style, though.”

Brad’s mouth twitches into a half smile. “What is your style then, sir?”

Nate closes the distance between them. “This,” he says, and presses his lips to Brad’s. Brad opens his mouth to Nate immediately and Nate moans into his mouth as Brad’s tongue flicks across Nate’s.

Nate shoves his hands up under Brad’s shirt and rubs Brad’s chest while he pushes the shirt up and then over Brad’s head. Nate steps back and pulls his own shirt off. “Bedroom’s this way,” he says, walking backwards until he’s sure Brad is following.

As soon as they cross the threshold to Nate’s room, Brad steps up behind Nate and presses their bodies together. Nate leans back into the warmth of Brad’s chest and relishes the feel of skin on skin. Brad’s fingers dip into Nate’s waistband while he bends his head and mouths along Nate’s neck. Nate moans in response and starts grabbing behind him at Brad’s pants. “No more clothes,” he says, as he successfully gets the button of Brad’s jeans undone.

Brad shoves Nate’s pants and underwear down into a puddle around Nate’s feet. Nate steps out of them the rest of the way, kicking them to the side and turns to do the same for Brad.

Brad grabs around his biceps and stops him before he can get all the way around. “Stay, sir.”

Nate feels his dick twitch and palms his cock as Brad shucks the rest of his clothes. “Hey,” Brad says, locking Nate’s hand out of the way. “Who said you could do that?”

“You’re a little pushy, sergeant,” Nate says, feeling behind him to grab at Brad’s ass.

“It’s all about command presence, sir,” Brad says as he wraps his body around Nate’s and finally takes Nate’s cock in his hand. Nate drops his head back on to Brad’s shoulder as Brad starts to stroke. 

“You weren’t kidding about that grip, were you?”

“I’m obviously not doing it well enough if you can still speak,” Brad breathes into Nate’s ear, tongue darting along the edge of Nate’s ear to punctuate his sentence.

Nate groans and tips his head to the side to allow Brad easier access. “Just give me more,” Nate gasps out.

Brad rubs his thumb over the head of Nate’s cock, then quickens his hand and starts rutting up against Nate, his cock rubbing along Nate’s ass. “Yes,” Nate hisses out between his teeth. He kneads his fingers into Brad’s ass, urging him along harder. Brad starts angling his hips up with each thrust. “Use me,” Nate says, holding his ground so Brad can grind up against him. “Get off and come all over me.”

“Fuck, sir…Nate,” Brad says. Nate feels it as Brad comes across his lower back which is all he needs to follow, coming into Brad’s hand. 

Brad slumps over Nate’s shoulders and Nate drags him the three steps forward they need to move in order to collapse onto the bed. “Well,” Brad says, breaking into the sound of their breathing slowing down, “that was a good first try.”

————

_“What’s Ray’s condition?” Nate asks, voice clipped._

_“He’s fine, sir,” Brad replies. “Rudy, Tony, and Doc got on him fast. He’s icing his face, but Doc’s not worried about combat effectiveness.”_

_Nate relaxes. “Good. Let me know if anything changes.”_

_“Will do, sir.” Brad turns to leave, but Nate catches him by his shoulder._

_“Where did this happen, Brad?”_

_Brad stays silent, just grimaces as he turns back to Nate._

_Nate presses his lips together. “Really?”_

_“They were in the tent, sir.”_

_Nate sighs. “Right,” he mumbles to himself. He shakes his head as he straightens up and looks Brad in the eye. “Sorry, sergeant, I couldn’t hear you. Where were they?” he asks, carefully enunciating the ‘where’._

_Brad straightens up and looks past Nate’s shoulder. “Outside the tent, sir. As per protocol.”_

_“Thank you for the report, Brad. In the future, you should know it’s unnecessary for you to report on events that I witnessed happening, though I appreciate your thoroughness. Understood?”_

_“Yes, sir.”_

_————_

_“Corporal Person still holding up?”_

_“He’s fine, sir,” Brad says, falling into step beside Nate. “Bitching a lot, but it’s more for a guilt trip than anything else.”_

_Brad quickens his pace and spins around to face Nate.“Thank you, sir.”_

_“For what, Brad,” Nate asks, standing toe-to-toe with him._

_“For the report you gave on the matter.”_

_Nate tips his head to the side. “I don’t know what you mean, Sargent. I only passed on an accurate account of what I saw.”_

_Brad nod his head. “Of course.”_

_“But don’t make me do it again.”_

_Brad keeps his eyes locked on Nate’s for a long moment. “Wouldn’t dream of it.”_

_A gust of wind peppers their faces with sand. “You should get back to your tent before the shamal really hits.”_

_“Yes, sir.”_

————

Brad’s email doesn’t have a question. It doesn’t even have a sentence, just flight numbers and times showing a 12 hour layover at Logan airport.

Nate responds with an address.

Nate keeps the flight tracker open once Brad is in the air. He figures he has about an hour after the plane lands until Brad shows up. He’s close—fifty-eight minutes after the planes touches down, there’s a knock on Nate’s door.

He takes his time crossing from the kitchen to entry way. Nate pulls open the door and takes a step forward and leans against the doorframe. Brad is standing in the hall, pack slung over his shoulder, and looking absolutely predatory.

Nate makes a show of checking his watch. “Took you long enough,” he says. Brad springs into motion, shouldering his way into the apartment, dropping his pack, and using Nate’s body to slam the door behind him.

“Hi,” Brad says, pressing his body up against Nate’s. Nate answers with a thrust of his hips forward and a hand around the back of Brad’s neck to pull him into a kiss. 

It’s rough and messy, tongues sliding into each others mouths. Brad bites down on Nate’s lip and Nate arches his back and moans. It’s everything Nate’s been missing.

“I’ve been thinking about something,” Nate pants as Brad bites across his collar bone.

“Yeah?” Brad asks, and licks back up the center of Nate’s neck. “What’s that?”

Nate works his thigh in between Brad’s legs and Brad immediately starts grinding down. “Taking your cock so far down my throat that I taste you for weeks.”

“Fuck,” Brad says. “Yes.”

Nate pushes on Brad’s chest, walking him back until he can push Brad on to the couch. Nate drops to his knees between Brad’s legs and starts tugging at Brad’s boots. By the time he’s got them off and thrown across the room, Brad has his hand in his pants and is slowly tugging on his cock, spreading precome around with his thumb. Nate reaches under Brad’s hips and moves to the side to get the rest of Brad’s clothing out of the way. He settles back between Brad’s legs and starts with licking and sucking at Brad’s balls. Brad moans in response, and moves his hand from his dick to Nate’s cheek. Nate licks up Brad’s cock and swirls his tongue around the tip before wrapping his lips around Brad and sinking down. 

Brad’s breath catches in his throat and his fingers tighten in Nate’s hair. One of Nate’s hands wraps around the base of Brad’s cock while the other gets the fly of his jeans open. He sighs as his cock is freed and slides further down on Brad. He reaches down to play with his balls as he works Brad’s cock up and down and wonders whether he could come from the taste and feel of Brad in his mouth all on their own.

Brad’s hips start pulsing up as Nate falls into a rhythm. Nate sucks faster in turn and then both of Brad’s hands are on his head pulling at his hair while Brad chants, “NateNateNateNateNate.” Nate ignores the tugs and keeps his lips pressed around Brad until he comes, shooting into Nate’s mouth.

Nate pulls off Brad as Brad starts grabbing at Nate’s arms, pulling him up into Brad’s lap. Nate still has his pants caught around his thighs, but he wraps his hand around his cock for real now and starts jerking off. Brad adds his hand over Nate’s. “Come for me,” Brad says, voice low. Nate does, covering Brad’s chest with his come as he shakes through his orgasm.

————

_Nate finds Brad once he’s emerged from underneath his vehicle and has started pacing the perimeter of the airfield. “You did everything right, Brad,” he says by way of greeting._

_“I don’t like a world where doing everything right means children get shot,” Brad spits out._

_“Me either, sergeant,” Nate matches his voice to Brad’s, “but that’s war.”_

_Brad stops in his tracks. He looks surprised, which is a first for Nate. “Sorry. I-“_

_“I know,” Nate cuts him off. “And I understand, but I need you to get back in the game. Your back seat has Trombley, who hasn’t been through BRC, and a reporter, so you have got to be on top of your shit.”_

_Brad is silent for long enough that Nate starts to wonder if he really has completely lost it. “I’ve been meaning to ask you about that, sir,” Brad says straight-faced, “am I being hazed?”_

_“No, Brad.” Nate smiles. “But I understand your confusing hazing with the Marine SOP.”_

_Brad’s mouth twitches into something that could almost count as a smile as they walk back to the platoon in silence. They reach the command vehicle first. Nate drums his fingers on the hood. “You good?” he asks._

_Brad reaches out and rests his fingers on top of Nate’s, stilling them. “Yes, sir.”_

_Nate holds his breath as Brad’s fingers trail across his hand when he walks away._

————

Nate sends an email with nothing but a link to an announcement from Harvard about a handful of graduate students presenting work at some public policy conference in Paris.

He gets back a receipt for a Eurostar ticket.

The last message Nate sends says, “See you in the lobby of the Paris Marriott Rive Gauche Hotel & Conference Center, Thursday 1300.” It’s loquacious, for them.

When Brad walks into the hotel, Nate shoots to his feet from the chair he’s sitting in. Brad stops a few feet away. Nate takes a step forward but stops too, afraid that if he gets any closer he won’t be able to stop until there’s no space between them. They end up just standing there, Nate grinning at Brad like an idiot. The struggle in Brad’s face betrays him trying not to do the same, but he breaks into a grin regardless. Nate answers with a tip of his head into the hotel. “I do have a room.”

Brad sweeps his arm out toward Nate. “Lead the way, sir.”

Nate bites his lip and gives Brad a sidelong glance. He backs Brad into a corner once they get into the elevator, keeping just an inch between them. “It turns me on when you call me ‘sir,’” he says, breath ghosting across Brad’s neck.

“I know,” Brad says, letting his smile win out. 

“Of course you do,” Nate says. The elevator slows, and Nate steps back as Brad starts to lean into him, just in time for the doors to open. Nate strides down the hall and feels Brad follow on his heels.

Nate kicks off his shoes as the walk in the room and pulls his shirt over head. He stretches his arms over his head and grins as Brad’s eyes rake over his body. “Bienvenue,” Nate says, hooking his thumbs in his waist band.

Brad chucks his bag into the corner and drops on to the bed, leaning up against the pillows. “Less bullshit finishing school language and more show.”

Nate thumbs open the fly of his pants and lets his pants hang loose on his hips. “Like what you see?”

“Yes, sir,” Brad says, rubbing his hand over his crotch. 

Nate grins wickedly and keeps his eyes locked on Brad as he pushes his pants down. He steps out of them and stands by the foot of the bed as he starts jerking himself slowly. His eyes close and his tongue darts out to lick at his lips. “I thought seeing you would involve more of you touching me and less of a normal Thursday night activity.”

“I don’t usually watch you.” Brad’s voice come out rough.

Nate’s eyes snap back open. “Yeah,” he breaths out, “that’s different.”

“Besides,” Brad says, kicking his pants off to the side. “There will be time for that too.”

————

“Come on,” Nate says, slapping Brad on the ass as he starts to stir. After a Thursday full of sex and a Friday consisting of a very successful presentation, he’s antsy and ready to move. “We’re oscar mike in 10.”

“What?” Brad mumbles into the pillow. He rolls over and looks at Nate through half-open eyes. The side of his face is wrinkled from the pillow case. “You’re wearing too many clothes.”

“I’m blowing off the conference so we can see the city today.”

Brad reaches out and tries to grab Nate’s leg. “How about you blow off the conference and blow me today, instead?”

Nate throws a shirt at Brad’s face. “We’re in Paris. We should see it” Brad sits up and pulls the shirt on as he looks at Nate with something close to a pout. “And if you’re good,” Nate says, “we can do that other thing later.”

————

They start at Notre Dame, where Brad sticks out from the tourists with their backs to the towers by walking right up to the edge and lacing his fingers through the mesh meant to keep anyone from tumbling over. 

“You can’t repel down Notre Dame, Brad,” Nate says, coming up next to him, but keeping a safe distance.

Brad looks straight down at the sidewalk. “Not high enough to be fun, anyway.”

Nate dares to reach out and tug on Brad’s shirt hem. “We can find other things to climb.”

Brad smiles and lets the inertia from his shirt bump him into Nate. “I’ll follow you.”

————

“What’s with you and the churches, sir?” Brad asks as they stand at the foot of the Sacre-Coeur Basilica. 

“Brad,” Nate says warningly. Brad just grins back at him. “You’re shameless.”

Brad shrugs. “I assume you’re working out some childhood issues,” he says, switching back to the topic at hand.

Nate looks at Brad and raises an eyebrow. “What’s with you and needing to summit any obstacle put in your way?”

“Touche,” Brad says, and they start to climb.

The 300 steps to the top of the dome thin out the tourists significantly, so they’re almost alone when they get to the top in the dusk.

“Saved the best for last?” Brad asks looking out over the city.

“I took some time off from my friends when we were traveling during our break on study abroad. This was one of the places I went that day, and it’s been my favorite part of Paris since then. Maybe just because I did it on my own, maybe not. But either way…”

“Yeah,” Brad says, “I get that.” He’s silent for a moment and Nate shuffles a little closer so they’re almost shoulder to shoulder. “It’s about freedom,” Brad adds.

They stare into the distance in silence while the sun drops. “Thanks for sharing this,” Brad says quietly.

“Thanks for coming,” Nate whispers back. “It’s better with you.”

Brad’s hand finds his and their fingers lace together, hidden between their bodies and the wall. Nate looks carefully around and Brad squeezes his hand as Nate steals one chaste kiss. 

————

_The reporter wanders away, notebook in hand, and Nate lets out a sigh he definitely didn’t want on the record. He stands, letting his weapon hang at his side. The lights of the city are bright below him. The sound of gunfire is constant. He stood in a skyscraper in Chicago once and thought the lights below were beautiful and full of promise. These look vast and chaotic._

_Brad’s uniform rustles as he walks up behind Nate. “What are we doing here, Brad?” Nate asks without turning._

_“Our jobs, sir,” Brad replies, monotone._

_Nate’s head drops and Brad steps forward until their shoulders are pressed together. “We’re doing our best, Nate,” he says, voice soft._

_“Yeah,” Nate breaths out. He leans into Brad. It’s the most dangerous move he’s made in this war, and yet— Brad’s knuckles tap his and he lets his eyes close so it all melts away._


End file.
